


Our Great Divide

by Bobo_is_tha_Bomb



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Reader-Insert, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26668231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb/pseuds/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb
Summary: “Ever since Haru was born I waited for things to return to the way they were before. But they never did. I’ve reached my limit. And you are who you are, I guess.”For years you have waited for him and you simply can’t take it anymore. But when tragedy strikes, you need him more than ever, to rely on him and his unwavering strength. Can things truly change?KaibaxReader
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46





	Our Great Divide

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first Yu-Gi-Oh fic on here, and I’m a little nervous. LOL.  
> It’s been a while since I’ve written anything for it, but this story is my most recent thing I guess. It’s a rewrite of an old one-shot.
> 
> I hope you’ll enjoy it, and please let me know what you think of it! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh, its characters, or you.

**Our great divide**

You heard the door of your shop open and close again. Another customer had arrived. You walked to the front of your shop, a smile on your face, but it faltered when you realized who was standing in your shop. Blue eyes looked around, showing a mild interest in the displays and colorful bouquets. What was he doing here? He turned towards you and his gaze met yours.

Your stomach did a somersault when you realized he was waiting for you to speak. 

“What are you doing here?” you asked finally.

“I have a business dinner tonight. I need a gift,” came the calm reply. His voice was cool, calm. So different from the disdainful tone he had used last night.

“You didn’t tell me,” you said.

“I forgot.”

You stepped around the counter and into the shop. The tension in the air made you nervous. Last night’s fight was still clear in your head. “Well, have you seen something you like?”

“I think you should choose.” He looked around the shop once more.

He had never been in your flower shop before. He hadn’t shown any interest in it since it’s opening last year, claiming he was way too busy with his own work. He had avoided coming here and normally he would send his secretary to get a gift for the party’s hostess. You wondered why he had decided to drop by himself this time.

You walked towards the corner and picked up an orchid in an elaborate pot.

“How about this one?”

“It’s nice,” he said, as if he was commenting on the weather.

That nearly made you roll your eyes, but you could stop yourself just in time. You walked back to the counter and put the plant down. You started wrapping it up, his eyes following every move you made. It made you even more nervous. You didn’t like it when he gave you that scrutinizing stare, as if he was daring you to make a mistake or become clumsy. It would be just another thing for him to comment on in that taunting tone.

He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and handed you some money. 

“Don’t. It’s fine,” you said. You often sponsored the party gifts, because you hoped to lure more customers to the shop. It had actually worked a few times and now you could count some of Domino’s elite to your clientele. 

He glared slightly and you sighed. You took the money from him, your fingers brushing his in the progress. Your fingers tingled. He rarely touched you and you wondered if he felt the same sensation. He picked up the plant and turned around. He walked towards the door.

You couldn’t take his cool behavior any longer. “Seto. Wait.”

He turned around and leveled that cool stare on you. “What?”

You stepped around the counter once more and walked up to him. You swallowed thickly and resisted the urge to reach for his hand. “I’m sorry about last night.”

“Hn…” he turned away from you.

His rejection of your apology broke your heart, but you refused to let it show. You couldn’t, not in the middle of the day while another customer might walk in. You were always the one to say sorry. He would never apologize. The word sorry was not part of Kaiba Seto’s vocabulary.

“I’ll see you tonight.” He swiftly left the shop.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

You stared into the darkness of your room, listening to your husband’s regular breathing. You knew he wasn’t asleep. Seto always slept on his back and now he lay with his back facing you. He was purposefully freezing you out. You turned your head to look at him. You could make out his strong and broad shoulders in the dark, soft skin stretching over taut muscles. Your fingers tingled with a need to touch him, but you knew he would shrug off any attempt of you reaching out to him. The past few months had made that painfully clear. A sad smile spread on your face. He didn’t hold you anymore and you could count the times you had been intimate with him in the past year on the fingers of one hand. He didn’t love you anymore. 

And you… You still loved him with all your heart. You still longed for him, wanted to make him happy, even if you no longer knew what you needed to do in order for him to be so. You wanted to be so much more to him than just the mother of his son. You didn’t want to feel like you were a little inconvenience he had to deal with every day.

You sighed heavily and closed your eyes, only to open them again at the soft knock on your door. The door opened, revealing a small silhouette in the door way.

“Mommy?”

You sat up and turned on the light on your bedside table. “What is it, Sweetie?”

“I had a bad dream.” The four year old sounded scared, and his fear was reflected in his large blue eyes. 

“Come here.” You moved to make room for him on the bed. You pressed your back against Seto’s and felt him tense.

“Haru, go back to your own room,” Seto said.

The boy stopped walking, glancing between you and his father uncertainly. The look tore at your heart and made you glare at your husband’s back. “Seto.”

Your disapproving tone made him turn his head to glare back at you. “Now what?”

You sighed and shook your head, mentioning your son over. He gave you a small smile as he crawled onto the bed. He was, in looks, a miniature version of his father. Same eyes, same hair. But Seto claimed that was where the similarities ended. According to him, Haru had your character. It sometimes made you wonder if he disapproved of your son’s big heart and innocence. They certainly were qualities he seemed to detest in you. 

Haru cuddled up against you under the covers, wrapping little arms around your waist. You smiled warmly and kissed the top of his head. “Okay now?”

He nodded and burrowed deeper into your embrace. “Yes.”

“Go to sleep now, Haru-chan,” you murmured softly, while gently stroking his hair. “I will protect you.”

He drifted off and you nuzzled his soft brown hair, the smile still on your face. Against you, Seto’s back was warm and you shifted to get more comfortable against him. You told yourself it was stupid to hope when he didn’t move away and when he finally relaxed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

When you woke up the next morning Haru had already left the bed. Judging by the light filtering though the curtains, it was already hallway through the morning. Sunday’s were for sleeping in, and so you turned around to sleep some more. Your eyes widened in surprise when you found Seto still asleep next to you. His hair was tousled, spilling over the pillow. He lay stretched out on his back, his face turned towards you. It was rare for Seto to sleep in. He was too restless for it. There was always work waiting for him, always something to do that involved his company, always a new game to be designed.

The arguments and the hurt were momentarily forgotten as you rolled over on your stomach and rested your chin on your hand. You watched him slumber for a while, admiring his beauty and the way the light played over his face. You reached out and traced his jawline with your finger.

He stirred. Those gorgeous blue eyes opened, and you mentally prepared yourself for his accusing look. He blinked a few times and then his gaze focused on you. But instead of accusation, you found a mild curiosity. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice husky from sleep.

You smiled. “Nothing. Just admiring you.”

He rolled his eyes. “Why?”

“It doesn’t happen very often that I wake up before you.”

“Hn…” he looked away from you glancing at his alarm clock. You noticed how his eyes widened slightly when he saw that it was already nine thirty. 

After you had gotten married Seto had stopped working on Sundays, so he could spent time with you. The days would be spent in the garden, or lounging about, but after Haru’s birth, Seto had given up on that. You knew what he would do today. He would lock himself up in his home office to work again. Not wanting to lose the moment while you had it, you moved closer to him and wrapped your arm around his waist and rested your head on his chest. You willfully forced yourself to relax against him and sighed in relief when he didn’t move away. He didn’t react to your embrace, but at least he let you touch him.

“Seto?” you questioned softly.

“Hmm?”

“Are you…” You hesitated for a moment, fearing his reaction. “Are you sorry for marrying me?”

Next to you, his body became tense and he scoffed. “Don’t ask ridiculous questions.”

“I don’t think it’s ridiculous,” you said, already regretting ruining the moment. “You don’t seem happy to be with me anymore.”

“What gave you that impression?”

You pushed yourself up into a sitting position so you could look at him. “I don’t interest you. You no longer ask me to come along to business parties and we rarely spent time together.”

“I’m a busy man,” he replied coolly. 

“Really?” you questioned. “I remember a time when you took days off to spend time with me. When we were just married you couldn’t keep your hands off me and now you rarely touch me.”

His glare was scorching. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t love me anymore, do you?”

His eyes widened and you were quick to turn away from him. It would be too painful to see him realize that you were right. You felt a lump form in your throat and swallowed thickly. You didn’t want to cry in front of him, to let him see your weakness. He despised weakness in others. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, while moving to get out of bed. 

You pulled your robe from the chaise at the foot of the bed and slipped it on before leaving the room. Not once did you look at him as you did so. 

There was breakfast waiting for you in the dining room, but you ignored it and instead only poured yourself a cup of tea. You took it outside to the patio, where you curled up on a lounge chair and watched the sunlight play over the garden. The loneliness almost was too much to bear. 

When you had married Seto, one of your friends at warned you that your personalities were too different. You had ignored her advice, citing that you and Seto had been together for years already and that you didn’t see why it wouldn’t work out. But she had been painfully right. You weren’t a meek woman, but you were a dreamer and your heart was large and easily bruised. It had become too easy for someone like Seto to carelessly step onto it. 

You felt tears come up and for a moment you allowed yourself to cry. You’d never do it in front of Seto or Haru. Seto would hate you for it and Haru would wonder if he had done something wrong. But God, sometimes it was so hard. The despair ate away at you. You couldn’t go on like this. You could no longer wait for Seto to come around and show interest in you again. You had waited too long already, had tried to be patient, but he hadn’t made an effort. Instead, he had only pulled further away from you.

You heard footsteps in the dining room and quickly wiped your cheeks, straightening in your seat as you did so. 

“What the hell made you say that?” Seto’s accusing tone was biting, salt in already tender wounds.

You turned your head to look at him and found him in the door opening, fully dressed in slacks and a blue shirt. He had left the top buttons undone, giving off a casual vibe, but his eyes were hard and cold as ever. 

“I think it’s time we faced the facts,” you said calmly as you got up to face him. It was time to be brave and stand up for yourself. Even if that meant angering him. “I want a divorce.”

He froze and stood staring at you in silence. You waited for his reaction, expected the usual angry explosion. But it didn’t come. Instead, he only managed a shocked “What?”

“We differ too much to make this work,” you said, making sure to keep your voice calm. Inside you were shaking like a leaf and your heart was breaking, but you needed to make a choice for yourself. You didn’t deserve his ignorance. “I don’t deserve to be this unhappy.”

He had turned his gaze away from you. He never permitted himself to show much emotion, but now he seemed… 

“Seto,” you said softly as you approached him. “I can’t go on like this.”

He regained his composure, and turned that cool gaze on you. “I see.”

“Ever since Haru was born I waited for things to return to the way they were before. But they never did,” you told him. “I’ve reached my limit. And you are who you are, I guess.”

“Aren’t you a little quick to jump to conclusions about me?” he asked, disappointment dripping from every word.

“It took me four years to reach that conclusion.” You fought to keep your tone calm, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing you were terrified. “I’ll move to a guest bedroom until I’ve found a suitable place for me and Haru to live.”

His eyes narrowed into a glare. He turned on his heel and strode away from you. “Suit yourself.”

You waited until you were sure he had left the dining room and then collapsed in a chair. The tears came, hot on your cheeks and scorching your throat. Deep down inside, you had hoped that telling him you wanted a divorce would make him reach out to you. It had been stupid, foolish, but that was the dreamer in you. And now all hope was lost. And with it you had lost Seto. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It was frighteningly easy to avoid each other inside the Kaiba mansion. Seto worked until deep into the evenings and you always made sure to be in bed by the time he got home. Haru didn’t seem to notice anything and remained his cheerful self. You didn’t have the heart to tell him yet. Of course, the staff had noticed, but they were discreet enough not to speak about it when you were around. It was something you were thankful for, even if the house was buzzing with the rumor. You only hoped that Mokuba wouldn’t turn up unexpectedly, because there was no way you could hide anything as big as a divorce from your brother in law. 

Mokuba was perceptive and he would meddle if he knew. 

You sighed to yourself and turned your focus back to the bouquet you were making. The elderly lady waiting for it in the front section of your shop was socialite, and one with a nose for gossip. You couldn’t afford to give her an inkling that something was going on.

Your cellphone beeped, and you idly glanced at the screen while adjusting the position of a pale pink rose. It was a message from Seto.

_I’ll pick Haru up from school._

You frowned, wondering what he was up to. He never picked his son up from school, always left that task for you to handle. You took the bouquet in one hand and picked up your phone with the other.

 _Why?_ You texted back. _You never do that._

You dropped the phone back on the work counter and resumed your work. You finished assembling the bouquet and took it to the front to show it to the socialite. 

“Is this what you had in mind?” you asked her.

“Oh, Dear!” she exclaimed with obvious admiration. “It’s perfect!”

“Great.” You smiled at her and went to wrap the flowers up as a gift. 

“I missed you at the dinner last week,” the lady commented casually as you rang up her purchase.

“I wasn’t feeling well,” you quickly excused yourself, and prayed Seto had given much the same excuse for your absence. 

“I’m sorry to hear that. Be sure to come along next time,” she said while presenting you with her credit card. “Kaiba-kun shouldn’t leave his lovely wife at home.”

You gave her a fleeting half smile and felt dread land in your stomach. You hoped she would leave soon. You didn’t like keeping up the pretense that everything was fine. When the socialite left the shop, the extravagant bouquet in her arms, you heaved a sigh of relief.

And realized your phone was ringing. 

You quickly bolted into the back and grabbed it from the work table. It was Seto. “Hello?”

“Why didn’t you answer the first time I called?” He sounded irritated.

“I had a customer,” you told him, once again reaching for the calm tone you used on him nowadays. 

“I’ll be taking Haru to Kaiba Land so he won’t be home for dinner.”

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really?”

“Yes. Why do you sound surprised?” he snapped. 

“It’s nothing,” you said quickly. And decided not to question his motives. If he wanted to spend time with Haru, he was allowed to do so. “Will you go to the sky scraper or the outdoor park?”

“The outdoor park.”

“Great.” You allowed a smile to form and your tone warmed with it. “He’ll love it, Seto.”

He grunted in response. “I’ll go and pick him up now.”

You glanced at the clock. It was close to noon. “He’ll miss school.”

“He is way ahead of the other kids, so he can afford it.” Seto’s tone left no room for argument. “I’ll speak with you later.”

He hung up and you stood blinking at your phone in surprise. What was going on? What was Seto planning? You shook your head and put your phone down. You’d have to figure it out later. You cleared out the work table and swept the floor, before returning to the front of your shop to continue ordering the displays. 

Halfway through the afternoon, you heard your phone beep again. A little curious, you made your way to the back and retrieved your phone. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw that Seto had sent you a picture of Haru in the Blue Eyes monorail. _He wanted me to send it to you._

A warm smile spread on your face as you looked at the picture again, taken in with the excited look in your son’s bright blue eyes. He looked so happy and carefree. A sigh escaped you. Soon, he would realize that his parents would get a divorce. What would remain of that happiness then? 

_He looks so happy,_ you texted back, deciding to be civil. _Thank you for taking him there._

You put your phone back down and took a deep breath to center yourself. Questioning Seto would have to wait until the evening. For now, you had to focus on your work. It was getting close to closing time, so you turned up the volume of the radio and put the finishing touches to the unpacking of a new shipment of scented candles. You hummed along with the music as you worked, clearing away the boxes and checking the temperature on the cooling unit you had in the back. 

You took stock of the inventory, deciding you needed to go and buy some new orchids for the next week, and that you needed restocking on the flower foam. You had just locked up the door, when the music on the radio was interrupted by a new bulletin.

_It has come to our attention that there is a hostage situation taking place at Kaiba Land. An armed man gained entrance to the park and has taken several people hostage. Among the hostages are children. The police are doing everything they can to get the situation under control._

You felt all color drain from your face. Seto and Haru were at the park still! Oh God… You quickly dashed out of the shop through the backdoor and were on your way in seconds. The tires of the sporty BMW screeched on the asphalt as you stepped on the gas. The panic was swirling wildly in your stomach but you fought to keep it at bay. 

“Haru-can, please be okay,” you pleaded as you wrestled the car around a corner. “God… please!”

Your breathing was erratic by the time you reached the park. The police had closed off the perimeters, and you quickly scrambled out of your car. Reporters had lined up behind the crime scene tape, and eagerly shot pictures as you raced towards the park entrance. A police officer intercepted you.

“You are not allowed to enter the park, miss.”

“Please!” you pleaded. “My husband and son are inside.”

“We have control of the situation, but we can’t allow anyone into the park until the wounded have been secured in an ambulance.”

“Wounded?” You swallowed thickly. “I… I need to speak with my husband.”

Paramedics pushed a gurney out of the park and you felt your heart stop in your chest. “SETO!”

You rushed over to them, sobbing with fear and panic when you saw that your husband was unconscious and covered in blood. His face was deadly pale. 

“Where is my son?” you asked one of the paramedics frantically. “Please tell me where he is?”

“He already is on his way to the hospital.” One of the paramedics, a woman with a kind face, took your arm. “You can ride along with us.”

You nodded and quickly scrambled into the ambulance. Your heart was beating too fast and your breathing was out of control. You grabbed onto Seto’s hand as if it was your life anchor as you sat down next to the gurney and watched the paramedics work frantically to steep the bleeding of his wounds. 

“She needs to calm down,” one of the paramedics said as the ambulance took off. 

“Mrs. Kaiba, is it okay if I give you something to calm you down?” the female paramedic asked you.

You shook your head. You didn’t want a tranquilizer. You needed to keep your head clear. You fought to get your breathing under control and lowered your head between your knees. You slowly managed, and wheezed a sigh of relief when you were able to straighten up again. But the panic was still churning in your belly. You were so deadly afraid. What had happened? How was Haru? Was he hurt just as badly? Your eyes brimmed with tears as you pictured your beautiful son’s face. 

“Do you know anything of my son’s situation?” you asked the woman. 

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, no. This team only concerned itself with Mr. Kaiba’s condition. But your son should be in the ER by the time we reach the hospital.”

The next half hour passed by in a blur as the ambulance reached the hospital and Seto was rushed into the ER. You tried to find out your son’s whereabouts and were told that the doctors were operating him. Frantic that there was nothing left for you to do but wait, you reached for your cellphone and called Mokuba.

“-Y/N-!” His tone was urgent and clouded with panic. “I just got the call! Where are you?”

“I’m at the hospital! They’re operating on Seto and Haru now.”

“Okay. Good.” You heard him take a deep breath. “I’m on my way now, okay? I’ll be there in an hour.”

“Drive safely,” you said, wondering how you were supposed to get through the next hour alone. You’d just have to manage. 

“I’ll call you as soon as I arrive,” Mokuba promised, before hanging up.

You sank down in a seat in the waiting room and prayed feverishly for both your husband and your son to be okay. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Mrs. Kaiba?”

“Hmm?” You blinked sleepily and lifted your head from Mokuba’s shoulder. The younger Kaiba was wide awake the next instant and straightened in his seat.

You looked up at the nurse who had carefully shaken your shoulder to wake you. She gave you a sympathetic smile. “Your husband is out of the OR.”

“And my son? Is my son okay?”

“Your son is still in the OR,” the nurse said. “If you want, you can visit your husband.”

Mokuba took your hand and you held on to it for dear life as you followed the nurse to Seto’s room together. You had to take a deep breath before you were able to enter the room. The sound of the heart monitor sickened you, but you braved it and approached the bed. Seto’s face was ghostly pale. You clasped Mokuba’s arm as you stood next to the bed, unsure of what to do. 

“The doctor will be with you shortly,” the nurse announced before leaving the room.

You felt tears come up and fought them with all your might. “I shouldn’t be here.”

Mokuba gave you a quizzical look and wrapped his arms around your shoulders. “What are you talking about? Of course you should be here.”

You sniffled and wiped the tears that escaped your control away. “No. I asked Seto for a divorce.”

Mokuba stiffened and gazed at you in shock. “What?”

“It’s… It’s just been so difficult lately,” you whispered. “I didn’t know what to do anymore.”

Mokuba sighed. “I didn’t know the situation had turned that dire.”

You focused your gaze on Seto again. “You couldn’t know. Seto probably didn’t want to worry you.”

Mokuba squeezed your shoulder and prepared to say something more, but was prevented by the appearance of the doctor.

“Mrs. Kaiba?”

“Yes?” You turned around and felt your heartbeat speed up with a mingling of terror and hope. 

“Your husband will be alright. We’ve removed a bullet from his right shoulder and one from his abdomen. His internal organs didn’t suffer much damage, thankfully, and as long as he takes it easy there should be no complications,” the doctor told you.

“And my son?” you questioned.

“There is another team operating him at the moment. Your son’s injuries are more complicated than your husband’s I’m afraid.”

Mokuba squeezed your shoulder in reassurance. “Will he be alright?”

“His condition is critical,” the doctor said carefully.

The terror won from the hope and you felt your knees buckle with it. Mokuba was quick to steady you. “Oh God.”

“We’re doing the best we can,” the doctor assured you. “I’ll inform you as soon as I have any news on his condition. Your husband should be waking up soon.”

Mokuba made you sit down in the chair by the bed. You pressed your hands over your face and tried to stay calm. “I can’t lose him, Mokuba.”

“You won’t.” Mokuba kissed the top of your head. “He is a Kaiba. We don’t die that easily. Stay here, I’ll get you some water.”

You sat by the edge of the bed as Mokuba left the room. You felt so helpless doing nothing while your son was fighting for his life. What had happened in the park for Seto to be shot? Was Haru shot too? 

“Seto,” you whispered brokenly. “Please, wake up soon.”

Even with the divorce looming over you, you needed him by your side in this. You couldn’t face this alone. You needed that strength and cool composure to ground you. 

Mokuba returned and handed you a cup of water. You sat in silence for a while, waiting for Seto to regain consciousness. Mokuba gave an irritated sigh when his phone started ringing.

“What?” He growled as he picked up. He sounded much like Seto as he did so. “Can’t this wait? I’m in the hospital!”

He listened to the caller for a while, before giving you an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I have to take this,” he told you quietly before getting up and leaving the room.

You turned your attention back to Seto and shot up when you noticed the fluttering of his eyelids. 

“Seto?” you questioned softly. On an impulse you touched his cheek and a sob of relief escaped you when he groaned. “Seto, wake up.”

He turned his face in your direction and opened his eyes, only to squeeze them shut again. “-Y/N-.”

His voice lacked its normal strength and you felt tears burn in your eyes. Before you could stop and think of your actions, you buried your face in his good shoulder and gave in to the need to cry. Wretched sobs tore from your throat as your tears soaked the hospital gown he was wearing.

“I’m so glad you’re awake,” you managed to choke out.

“Haru…” he managed. “Is Haru okay?”

You swallowed thickly and lifted your head from his shoulder to look at him, drenched eyes meeting his azure orbs. “They’re still operating him.”

He remained silent as he processed the information and reached out to wipe your cheeks. You froze and gazed at him in surprise. 

“Don’t cry,” he told you.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I didn’t mean to.”

You wiped at the remaining tears yourself and took a deep breath, while seating yourself on the edge of the bed. “I’m scared. The doctor said that Haru’s injuries were more complicated than yours and that they are doing the best they can.”

“He’ll be okay,” Seto said. 

“I can’t lose him, Seto.” Your tone was heartfelt and full of fear. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.”

He tried to sit up and you were quick to grasp onto his shoulders. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” he asked. “Trying to sit up.”

“You shouldn’t.” He narrowed his eyes at you and you sighed. “Alright.”

You helped him up and adjusted the pillows behind his back so he could lean back against them. When he was comfortable he reached for your hand. 

“We won’t lose Haru,” he told you. 

You had to hold onto his hand, onto his conviction that your son would be okay. It settled you and made you able to think clearly again. You gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Seto.”

“For what?” he muttered.

“What happened at the park?” you asked him. 

“Some idiot managed to get though security,” he said matter of factly. “He went on rampage.”

“Are there more people and children wounded?” you asked. “Oh God… I didn’t know.”

“I saw him coming and tried to get Haru away but…” Seto squeezed his eyes shut and leaned his head back against the pillows. “I tried to protect him.”

“I know,” you said softly, while reaching out to touch his wounded shoulder. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”

“I’ve failed you enough as it is.”

Your breath clogged in your lungs at his words. Was he referring to your marriage? “Seto… I…”

“You woke up!” Mokuba burst into the room with a relieved smile. 

“Mokuba…” Seto eyed his brother in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I came over as soon as I heard,” Mokuba said. “What? Did you think I would let -Y/N- handle the situation all by herself? This is more important than the construction of the park in Tokyo.”

“Of course.” Seto rolled his eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Mokuba smiled. “I’ll wait until there’s news about Haru. Afterwards I’ll head over to Kaiba Land to speak with the police and to give a press conference.”

You gave your brother in law a grateful look. “Thank you.”

“It’s okay.” He gave you a warm smile. Then his look turned serious. “I’ll pay visits to the other wounded as well.”

“Are there any…” you hesitated briefly. “Did anyone die?”

“A three year old girl and a boy aged ten,” Mokuba said solemnly. 

You clasped your hand in front of your mouth in horror. Seto’s hand tightened around yours. “Children…” you whispered. “He killed children. Oh, God.”

You started shaking as the realization sank in. A man had gone into the Kaiba theme park to kill children. And your own child was fighting for his life. But not only Haru. There were others as well. This was the worst kind of tragedy. 

“-Y/N-,” Mokuba said softly, while reaching out to rest a hand on your shoulder. “You need to stay calm.”

“I’m trying,” you said. “What kind of maniac goes to a theme park and does that?!?”

“You’re not going to worry about it,” the younger Kaiba said resolutely. “You will only worry about Haru. I’ll deal with the situation.”

You squeezed your eyes shut and pressed your free hand against your forehead. _Calm. Stay calm._ Maybe you should have taken the tranquilizer that the paramedics had offered you. You were turning into a trembling mess. You were so focused on your breathing that you didn’t notice that Seto pulled you towards him. Until he tucked your head under his chin and wrapped his arms around you. You froze, uncertain of what to do and then realized that you needed this. You buried your face in his shoulder and clung to him. 

“Seto…” you whispered, thankful for his offer of comfort.

“I’m here,” he murmured into your hair. 

It had been so long since he had held you, so long since you had basked in the comfort of his embrace. You held on for dear life, assuring yourself that he would be okay. 

“Aah, Mister Kaiba. It’s good to see that you’ve woken up.”

You looked up at the familiar voice of the doctor. “Is there news?”

“Yes.” The doctor gave you a reassuring smile. “The operation was a success and we have managed to remove the bullets from your son’s body. He is in the IC right now, where we will monitor him until he regains consciousness.”

You breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

“Your son lost a lot of blood though. We’ll have to see if there is any remaining damage when he wakes up.”

“Can I go and see him?” you asked. 

The doctor nodded. “The visit will need to remain short, but you can come with me to the IC right away.”

“Can I come too?” Seto asked.

The doctor shook his head. “You need to remain in bed, Mister Kaiba.”

Seto narrowed his eyes, but you reached up to touch his cheek. “Do as he says, Seto. I’ll go and let you know how he is doing, okay?”

He caved with a sigh. “Alright.”

You gave him a small smile before leaning in to kiss his cheek. It was something he definitely hadn’t expected from you, and he sat staring at you in stunned silence as you got up and followed the doctor out of the room. 

The IC was not far from Seto’s room. The doctor led the way to a private room, were a nurse was busy monitoring your son’s condition. One look at the small figure in the hospital bed had you dashing forward. Tears cascaded down your cheeks as the sight of your son greeted you. He was hooked up to various machines, and it was a gruesome tableau. Something out of a nightmare. You weren’t supposed to see him like this, deadly pale, that innocent face partly hidden by an oxygen mask. 

“Haru-chan,” you whispered as you leaned in to press a kiss against his soft hair. 

“We are constantly monitoring him,” the doctor told you in a reassuring tone. “It is up to him now.”

“Be strong, my little one,” you told your son while stroking a finger over his cheek. “I need you to wake up soon.”

God… what had possessed a man to snap and hurt an innocent like this? Your poor baby. Your heart broke as you once again took in the way your son looked. He was too small for the bed. They had tried to clean him up as much as possible, but there was still blood clogged to his hair. You reached out to touch it.

The nurse spoke up once she noticed what you were doing. “It’s not his blood.”

“Oh…” Your stomach twisted when you realized it had to be Seto’s blood. 

The doctor discreetly cleared his throat, signaling that you had to leave the room. You leaned in and kissed Haru’s hair once more. “I’ll be back soon, okay? I love you, Haru-chan.”

You followed the doctor out of the room and squeezed the bridge of your nose in hopes of warding off the headache you could feel brewing behind your eyes. 

“I’ll be in my husband’s room,” you said softly. “If there is any news or a change in his condition we want to know immediately.”

“Certainly,” the doctor said kindly. “I’ll arrange for an extra bed to be brought to your husband’s room.”

You gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

You made your way back to Seto’s room and found that Mokuba had already left. Seto was still sitting up against the pillows and staring out of the window, seeming lost in thought. You halted in the doorway and stood looking at him for a while. He was still pale, but as the anesthetic was wearing off, he seemed stronger. The tight set of his mouth told you he was tense and probably thinking about what had happened. 

“Are you okay?” you asked as you moved again. 

Seto jolted and turned his head to look at you. “How is he?”

“They are constantly monitoring his condition,” you told him as you sat down on the edge of the bed again. “He looked so small in that bed. I can’t bear the sight of him hooked up to all those machines.”

“He is going to be okay.”

You gave him a watery smile and nodded. “I know…”

He reached for your hand and you grasped on tightly as he entwined his fingers with yours. Even if you were divorcing him, you needed Seto in this situation. You needed each other to be strong for Haru. 

“Thank you for sending me the picture,” you said softly, trying to find a subject that was more uplifting. “Haru looked so happy.”

“He was enjoying himself.” Seto’s tone softened as he spoke, which told you he had liked spending the afternoon with his son. “He asked me if you could come along too next time.”

“Definitely,” you said. You gave him a small smile. “I’d like that.”

You didn’t spend much time as a family. Seto was always so busy with work, although he tried to cut out time every now and then to spend with Haru at home. Those were precious moments for your son and you could only imagine how the afternoon at Kaiba Land must have been for him. 

“Promise me you won’t stop spending time with Haru when we move out,” you said softly. “It means the world to him.”

“I know…” Seto’s voice was quiet. “And I will.”

“Thank you.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

You spend a restless night on the extra bed that two nurses had brought into the room. During the morning, Mokuba came by and brought Seto some clothes. You helped your husband get dressed, ignoring his protests and comments that he could do it very well himself. If he’d had his way he would have aggravated his wounds. After getting his wounds checked by a nurse, Seto was allowed out of bed. The walk to the IC was slow, but you accommodated Seto’s pace as he struggled on. He was too damn proud to use the wheelchair the nurses had offered him and glared at you every time you checked if he was doing okay.

“Stop mothering me, -Y/N-.” His tone was brusque. “I’m fine.”

“Uhuh…” You agreed with him. “I can see that.”

You reached the IC and reached for Seto’s hand as you entered Haru’s room. There was a different nurse by the bed this time, changing the IV bag. Seto froze at the sight of his son in the hospital bed, and you turned towards him to place your free hand against his chest, offering him comfort in case he needed it. 

“His condition has remained stable throughout the night,” the nurse commented as she checked the heart monitor. 

You sighed. “That’s good.”

You tugged on Seto’s hand and approached the bed. You noticed how Seto curled his free hand into a fist and remained silent. Was he blaming himself? 

“Good morning, Haru-chan,” you said softly while leaning over to kiss your son’s forehead. “Daddy is here.”

You stood by the bed in silence for a while, not knowing what to say. Seto was obviously struggling within himself. You tightly held onto his hand.

“He’ll pay for this,” Seto said quietly. There was so much venom in his voice that you turned to look at him with fearful eyes. “I’ll make him pay.”

“Seto…” 

Your husband squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. He was much calmer when he opened his eyes again. 

“Would you like to say something to Haru?” you asked, keeping your voice soft. “I could step out if you want.”

“No. Stay.” He reached for your arm when you wanted to move passed him. 

It was in that moment that the heart monitor showed a change. You looked at the screen in alarm as the nurse shot forward. Haru’s heart rate was dropping. 

“Haru! Haru-chan!” You leaned over your son as the heart monitor came to a stop. The sound it gave was one only heard in nightmares and movies. 

The doctor came barging into the room, a small army of nurses in his wake. “Step outside, please!”

You shook you head. You couldn’t leave your son. The panic clawed at your throat with jagged fingers as the doctor checked your son’s vitals and ordered for the defibrillator. You felt strong arms wrap around you and were pulled out of the room. 

You struggled wildly and cried out. “No! Haru!”

One of the nurses shut the door. You continued to struggle against the arms around you, your heart telling you that you needed to be in the room with your son. 

“Calm down.” It was Seto.

You froze, eyes wide with panic, at your husband’s commanding voice. “S-Seto…”

He turned your around and grasped your arms. “Breathe.”

There was blood on his shirt from tearing open his wounds. You reached out and touched the stain on his shoulder. “You… you need a nurse to look at this.”

He grimly shook his head and took a step back. “I need to know that Haru is okay first.”

You swallowed thickly and looked up at him. His eyes… Seto never showed his feelings so openly, but you could clearly see that there was fear in his eyes. He was just as afraid as you were. You felt helpless, not knowing what to do. 

He let go of you and sat down in one of the chairs that stood against the wall and leaned forward, burying his hands in his hair. You couldn’t stay still and started pacing. Haru… You were so scared. Your son’s life was hanging on by just a loose thread. You shook your head. You shouldn’t think about that. Haru was strong. You stopped pacing and turned towards the door, bringing your hand up to your mouth. You could feel Seto’s eyes on your back, but you didn’t dare to turn around. Seeing his fear in his eyes had shaken you. If you turned around now and saw it again, you would lose any semblance of composure. 

You heard him grunt as he got up again. The next moment his arms wrapped around you from behind. You felt him sigh as he buried his face in your hair. 

“He will be alright…” he whispered.

His tone was soothing. You relaxed and leaned back into him, glad that he was offering you comfort again. God, you had missed this so much… You couldn’t stop yourself from turning around and wrapped your arms around his waist, burying your face in his good shoulder. 

“I’m so scared, Seto,” you whispered, while squeezing your eyes shut. 

“Shh…” He buried a hand in your hair and held you. 

Behind you, the door opened and one of the nurses stepped out. You felt Seto’s arms tighten around you, as if he wanted to protect you from what the nurse might say.

“His heartbeat is stable again.”

You sighed in relief and let out a shaky laugh. “Thank God.”

You followed the nurse back into the room, where the doctor was closely checking Haru’s vitals again. 

You looked at Seto. Your husband appeared to be calm, but his eyes gave him away. He was just as relieved as you were. You reached for him again and rested your head against his shoulder. You clung to him, needing his support more than ever.

“We have stabilized him,” the doctor said. “All that is left is waiting for him to wake up.”

The doctor left you, giving you some privacy. The team of nurses left the room too, except for the one that remained to monitor Haru’s condition. She discretely retreated to the furthest corner of the room. You reached out and ran a hand through Haru’s hair. 

“What will we do now, Seto?” you asked.

Seto reached out as well and touched Haru’s cheek. “We’ll wait and hope.”

You met his gaze and sighed. This was the closest you had been to him in a long time and you hated the fact that it would only be temporary. Once Haru woke up, you’d have to let go of the support that Seto was offering you now. 

“What is it?” he asked you.

You shook your head. You couldn’t say it. If you expressed how you felt, he would surely pull away from you. “Nothing… I’m just...”

 _Doubting… Always doubting and overthinking._ You pressed your face into his shoulder. You’d enjoy it while he offered it. 

He completely surprised you by kissing the top of your head. “I don’t want a divorce.”

“W-wha…” You pulled away to look up at him and wondered if you had heard him correctly. 

“You heard me,” he said, while directing his gaze at the wall next to him. 

You stood blinking at him in utter astonishment. “Seto… Y-you…”

“If it’s really what you want, I’ll go along with it,” he said and met your eyes once more. “But it’s not what I want.”

“I don’t know what to say…” you whispered. Could you trust him? Could you really believe that he would be willing to change? 

“I’m sorry,” he said. 

Now you were sure you really hadn’t heard him correctly. In six years of marriage and the four years before that, you had never heard him utter those words. You stared up at him with pain filled eyes. “Why now?”

“Because I realized you were right. And there is no excuse for how I behaved towards you.”

“You can’t just… _change_ ,” you said, while shaking your head in denial. “God… Why do you always have to make me doubt myself? I had finally figured out what I wanted.”

“But is it really what you want?” he asked you, while placing his fingers under your chin. 

“ _Of course not_ ,” you whispered, heartfelt. “I love you. But you hurt me.”

He leaned in and rested his forehead against yours. “I know I did. Don’t think I didn’t see it.”

You squeezed your eyes shut. Your mind was running amuck. You couldn’t seem to figure out what to do. You wanted to believe him, but you had waited four years for him to realize that things needed to change. Why was he doing this now? His fingers ran along your jawline, and you shivered at the gentle touch. You opened your eyes again and found him looking at you intently. There was something in his eyes you hadn’t seen in a very long time. It had been so long since he had looked at you like that…

“I did a shitty job at being your husband,” he said. “I never had to ask you for another chance, because you always offered it. But I’m asking now.”

“I…”

You saw him leaning in, and couldn’t bring yourself to stop him. A shuddering breath escaped you when he touched his lips to yours. “I never realized how much I took your generosity for granted,” he murmured against your lips. “Or how much I would miss it if you ever were to leave me.”

Your heart nearly burst at those words. You knew he wasn’t trying to manipulate you. His tone was much too honest for that. He was really opening up to you, finally showing you again that he cared and that he needed you. And your heart, your big, loving heart, was begging you to accept him. 

“Seto…” you whispered, while reaching up to cup his cheeks. 

His mouth slanted over yours and you buried your hands in his hair. A violent shiver racked your body when he angled his head to deepen the kiss. You rose on your toes, pressing up against his tall body intimately as he swept you under. His taste flooded you as his tongue playfully caught yours in a sensual dance. 

“Seto…” you whispered again when he broke the kiss to press kisses against your face. 

The soft whimper from the bed made you break away from your husband abruptly. You gasped as you surfaced, suddenly very much aware about the fact he had all but devoured you in a hospital room, with a nurse present. 

And Haru… Haru was waking up!

You leaned over your son and touched his hair. “Haru-chan… It’s okay. Mommy is here.”

You felt Seto’s hand settle on your lower back as he leaned over the bed as well. “Haru, wake-up.”

Your son struggled to surface and opened azure eyes. You felt the telltale burning of tears behind your eyes and leaned in to nuzzle Haru’s hair. “It’s okay, Baby. We’re both here for you.”

Haru’s eyes drifted shut again, but his eyelids kept fluttering. He was trying. He was fighting. Oh, your strong, precious son. The oxygen mask prevented him from making anything more than muffled noises. 

“Shh…” Seto sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for your son’s hand. 

You watched, enthralled, as your son opened his eyes once more. And this time, they stayed open. The tears ran down your cheeks as your precious Haru sought out your eyes. You smiled at him through your tears. 

“There you are…” you said softly. 

You turned your head to smile at Seto, and found him looking at you fondly. You reached for his hand and leaned in for a gentle kiss. 

The nurse came over and checked the heart monitor. “I have paged the doctor. He’ll be here shortly.”

You sat down on the edge of the bed as well and continued to murmur soothing words to your son as you waited for the doctor. He came walking into the room and smiled. 

“I see he has woken up,” he said and quickly went to work.

After checking Haru’s vitals, he moved to take off the oxygen mask. Haru was reaching for you. 

“M-mommy…”His voice sounded weak and afraid. 

“It’s okay. The doctor needs to do some tests.”

You held onto his hand as the doctor asked Haru questions, and checked his reflexes. 

“For now, it looks promising,” he said while taking the clipboard from the foot of the bed to make some notes. “I see no indication of him slipping into unconsciousness again.”

You sighed in relief. 

“We’ll keep him here overnight, just to be sure.” The doctor put the clipboard away and gave you a nod before leaving the room. 

You turned back to your son and moved to gather him in your arms, but Seto beat you to it. You watched as he wrapped strong arms around the small boy, gathering him close. 

“Daddy…” Tiny hands clutched at Seto’s shirt as the boy buried his face in his father’s chest. 

“You gave us quite a scare,” Seto said and kissed the top of Haru’s head. “But I am glad you have woken up.”

You smiled warmly and rested a hand on Seto’s shoulder. Over your son’s head, your gaze met and held. Instinctively, you immediately knew that everything would be alright. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Mommy?”

“Yes?” You looked up from your book and smiled at Haru, who abandoned his toy cars on the floor and crawled onto the couch to cuddle up against you. It was his third week home from the hospital and he was healing well. “What is it?”

“Daddy has changed,” he said with a wide smile.

Your smiled widened and you nodded. “He has.”

The boy looked up at you, his blue eyes shining brightly. “I like him this way.”

You ran a hand through his hair. “Me too.”

Haru had noticed the change in his father. The past few weeks had been blissful, with Seto taking time off from work to spend it with his family instead. During Haru’s stay in the hospital, Seto had dealt with the aftermath of the tragedy in the theme park, and you had accompanied him to the two funerals of the children and during visits to the wounded. Doing it together created a bond, and you could see how hard Seto was trying. Not because he felt he had to, but because he genuinely wanted to. You were seeing traces of your old husband back and nothing could make you happier.

However, Seto had locked himself up in his office tonight and you wondered why. 

Mokuba entered the room and Haru giddily sat up.

“Uncle Mokuba!” The boy grinned widely. “Let’s play a videogame!”

Mokuba smirked slightly and nodded. “Choose a game, kiddo.”

“Yay!” Haru scrambled off the couch and went to the large television set. 

You stood up and put your book down on the table. Reading while two people were playing a videogame was difficult. Mokuba and Haru made a lot of noise together, both being competitive to an extent that drove you crazy. They were Kaiba’s after all. 

You went into the kitchen and poured coffee in two mugs. You took the mugs and carried them towards Seto’s office. The door was open, which you interpreted as an invitation to come inside. Seto looked up from his computer screen when he heard you enter and gave you a small smile. You smiled back and put a mug down in front of him. 

“Why are you working?” you asked, while sitting down on his desk. 

Seto reached for his mug and sipped his coffee.

“I intent to take tomorrow off, but this has to be finished,” he said.

You leaned back to gaze at the computer screen. “What are you working on?”

“And upgrade for the duel disk for the upcoming tournament. I intend to implement some new rules.”

“Hmm…” You smiled knowingly. “Everything to make sure they don’t beat you.”

He scoffed and resumed his typing. “I’m still the best duelist in the world. They should be honored they get a chance to challenge me.”

You chuckled and sipped your coffee, enjoying this little moment with him. Before, you had never entered his office while he was working. But now… it was all so different. And it was kind of fun to discuss his work with him. 

“I’ll be opening the shop again next week,” you said. “I can’t keep it closed any longer.”

“Hmm…” Seto frowned as he typed in some codes. “Those plants you put into my office could use a look.”

“I’ll be sure to drop by.” You grinned and put your mug down. 

He glanced at you and you couldn’t help but shiver. There was something warm in his gaze. Something predatory. He had yet to make love to you. The past few weeks had been spend rediscovering each other in other areas as Seto had still been healing and you hadn’t been ready yet. But now… And if he intended to take tomorrow off…

You smiled secretly to yourself and Seto noticed. 

“You’re planning something,” he said in a mildly accusing tone. 

You grinned. “Yes I am. But I’m not telling you… yet.”

He chuckled. “Aah… so it’s a surprise?”

You tilted your head, seemingly all innocence. “Hmm… Maybe.”

You squealed when he reached for you and pulled you towards him over the desk and into his lap. His lips found the back of your neck, which you had left bare by sweeping your hair up. His warm breath against your skin made you shiver and you moaned softly as he skimmed his lips over sensitive flesh.

“I love you,” you whispered softly.

“Hmm…” His lips skimmed up to your ear and he playfully caught the lobe between his teeth. “I love you too.”

Hearing those words again had taken some getting used to. But you couldn’t seem to get enough of hearing him express them. You shifted in his lap and took his mouth in a lingering kiss. Your body warmed with desire as he took the kiss deeper and you whimpered when he pressed you closer towards him, crushing your breasts against his chest.

It was the scene that Haru burst in onto, Mokuba hot in his pursuit. Both looked at you and Seto with differing expressions of disgust.

“Ew…” Haru stuck out his tongue.

You pulled back from Seto and laughed. You could read the amusement in your husband’s eyes, but he refrained from commenting on your son’s reaction. 

Mokuba grinned and grabbed the boy. “Come here, kiddo. Let’s leave Mommy and Daddy alone, shall we?”

The suggestive tone in his younger brother’s voice made Seto raise an eyebrow. Your cheeks flushed as Mokuba took Haru out of the room and winked at you while closing the door.

“Right…” Seto’s tone dripped with sarcasm.

You gave him a coy smile. “Well… you could come upstairs with me.”

Seto smirked, the tilt of his lips wicked and seductive. “Yes, I could.”

You couldn’t stop yourself from belting with laughter as he swooped you up in his arms and left the office. Everything was as it should be. And better than before. 

_Oh, definitely better than before,_ you thought dreamily as Seto lowered you to the bed. And it had been totally worth the hardship. 


End file.
